From picking up the phone and asking the operator for whom you wish to reach
To party lines (where several units were all connected to the same phone number)
To one phone in the house
To extensions so you could have a phone in your room
Now to personal cell phones where everyone in the house has their own phone number
And with music:
Once only performed publicly in group settings
To radios that people gathered around in stores or living rooms
To personal stereos in a home or car
To Walkmans that made that stereo portable
To iPods which put "a thousand songs in your pocket"
To Pandora and other services that now give you a personal music station
While there is certainly convenience in having your own phone vs. waiting for your chatty neighbors to free up the party line, we also lose some practice in the art of compromise and patience in the process.
The telephone and music are just two examples of a plethora of ways that we operate more independently than we did before. While growing up, I gained lots of practice in compromising during "negotiations" over phone usage rights and the car's radio station selection. Today, try to find other ways to practice your skill in accommodating others' needs and tastes. Your community will be better for it.
-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com
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